HITMAN GO VR Review

Square Enix released its mobile and PC game HITMAN GO on the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift having enjoyed success on PC. We reviewed the PC version last year and found it a rather neat puzzle game featuring everyone’s favourite hitman (Agent 47). The game is a far cry from its action based roots but there’s a certain charm being able to perform hits and many actions you can from the fully fledged games. Make no mistake though, HITMAN GO is a puzzle game through and through so if you’ve itchy trigger fingers or are looking for a visceral killing simulator you might want to look away now.

Just to recap, HITMAN GO VR features some 91 levels to play through which includes the bonus Opera, Airport and St. Petersburg boxes which are based on levels from Hitman 2 Silent Assassin and Hitman Blood Money. So, there’s quite a bit to wade through as each level gets progressively more challenging. As you can see in the gameplay video, the idea is relatively simple. Take out the guards and reach the exit, or, if you’re clever, avoid them entirely. What makes up the longevity here is retrying to snag all the level challenges which include things like grabbing a suitcase, not killing any animals or remaining undetected.

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You can read our full review here in which we awarded the game a well deserved 9/10. So, pertinent to this review though is how does the game shape up as a VR title? It has to be stated the core mechanics of the gameplay remain identical to the 2D version, there’s no changes and unfortunately no options to use LEAP motion to physically lift the models and move them about. Perhaps this is something that could be patched in when Touch controls release for the Rift. What you do get is the option to view the diorama boards in full 3D which makes it feel like you have the models and environments in front of you. The added bonus of moving your head closer to the boards to get a better view is rather neat although could be argued a bit of a novelty as it doesn’t add anything to the game. Interestingly, Agent 47 follows your position with his body which is a cool touch but again a bit of a moot feature in terms of gameplay.

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What is great though is being able to rotate the board at leisure which means you’ll have excellent viewpoints for scoping out each level before committing Agent 47 to do the dirty deeds. In VR it simply feels much more alive being in 3D and feels like you’re playing at a table with actual solid objects before you. The quality of the image is also of a high standard due to the fairly static nature of the gameplay making for interesting and vibrant locations and characters. It has to be said, this isn’t a new game with added animations etc. it’s a conversion of the original with a change of perspective as its main unique selling point over the other versions.

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So, the big question remains – should you buy HITMAN GO VR if you’ve already played the original 2D version? This is pretty tough because on one hand it’s a shame the original game wasn’t updated to include VR for those who already purchased the “Definitive Edition” only a few months ago as a free update or at a reduced cost. On the other, the gameplay remains exactly the same as its 2D counterpart, so if you completed the 2D game there’s little reason to jump back in again unless you’re dying to see how it looks in 3D/VR. In its defence, the game is only £5.99 on the Gear VR and around £7 on the Oculus Rift so it’s not a massive investment. With a lack of any new features to make the VR version stand out then it’s a tough sell to recommend again for those who already played the 2D game. However, if you’re new into the fold, then HITMAN GO VR is by far the most definitive version to play and well deserving of your time and money if you’re a fan of puzzle type games and enjoy IO Interactive’s HITMAN franchise. Yes, it’s quite a departure from the other games but there’s a distinct charm about HITMAN GO that keeps you coming back for more as a mental challenge.

Written by: Rob Cram

Rob Cram has hundreds of video game reviews, thousands of articles under his belt with years of experience in gaming and tech. He aims to remain fair and free from publisher/developer influence. With his extensive knowledge, feels his gaming opinions are valid and worth sharing. Agreement with his views are entirely optional. He might have a bias towards cyberpunk.